Bulatlat - The Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine

This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VII, No. 7, March 18-24, 2007

Negros NGO Bags DoE ‘Green Energy-Award’

The Bacolod-based Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) is the only non-government organization (NGO) among the five Philippine corporations which bagged the 1^st Green E-Award given by the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Energy Council of the Philippines-Center of Excellence for Sustainable Energy in Southeast Asia (ECP-CESE).

BY KARL G. OMBION
Bulatlat

BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod-based Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) is the only non-government organization (NGO) among the five Philippine corporations which bagged the 1^st Green E-Award given by the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Energy Council of the Philippines-Center of Excellence for Sustainable Energy in Southeast Asia (ECP-CESE).

The Green E-Awards Program of the DoE and the ECP-CESE was conceptualized to serve as a mechanism that gives recognition to both project developers and end users for their active participation in successful renewable energy (RE) projects. Renewable Energy projects that receive the award would serve as inspiration or example for others to emulate.

The CESE was established as a partnership between the World Energy Council (WEC) and the United Kingdom’s Department of Trade and Industry with the support of the Philippines’ DoE and ECP.

One of the prime movers of AIDFI, Auke Idzenga, a Dutch engineer who has lived in Negros rural communities and has been working with sugar workers since the 1970s, expressed utmost appreciation for the award given to the NGO.

“We are really surprised and elated by the award; it just goes to show that our efforts to develop and promote renewal energy projects have captured the appreciation and support of the government,” Idzenga said.

AIDFI has for years now been engaged in research, fabrication and installation of hydraulic ram pump, bush pump, biogas, rice hull, solar power equipments and processing plant for lemon grass, among others. Local materials are used for these projects.

Its banner project, the hydraulic ram pump has already benefited several rural communities in Negros and other provinces in the country. The project has been used by AIDFI to the address the problems of upland communities in fetching water intended for drinking, households and agricultural uses, and in displacing harmful greenhouse gases common in petro-chemical fueled agricultural equipments which would have otherwise been emitted from a typical fossil-fueled generating plant.

AIDFI has been pursuing community development using indigenous technologies as its core project strategy.

The other awardees were Pasig Agricultural Development and Industrial Supply Corporation for innovativeness, Wellisa Farms for non-power application, Gaya Lim Farm Inc, for RE off-grid electricity generation, and the Northwind Power Development Corp for RE on-grid electricity generation.

The awardees were judged on the basis of environmental impact, innovativeness, replicability, socio-economic impact and sustainability of their projects.

DoE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the 1^st Green E-Award Program is a testament to the enormous potential of renewable energy as a viable solution to the twin problems of oil price volatility and global warming.

He also said that the Philippines remains committed to achieving energy security and a cleaner environment by harnessing the indigenous and renewable energy resources it has been so richly endowed with. Bulatlat

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